Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Opening Ceremony

Last night was a special night for Universal’s Islands of Adventure. It was the opening ceremony for their newest coaster and much awaited Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure. The ceremony started with CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts Tom Williams who thanked the team and declared that “Orlando is the capital of Harry Potter”, he then added that “there are three key elements for a great attraction: great environment, great characters and a great story” This attractions has all three to create the perfect “story coaster” .

photo courtesy of @MagicCityMayhem

Then some of the actors from the Harry Potter films came to help with the opening. Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) Warwick Davis (Proffesor Flitwick) Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), they added a bit of magic and with the help of Wingardium Leviosa, they made the objects blocking the entrance levitate so that the first guests could come through.

The attraction has had Team Member previews for the last couple of days and it has been getting rave reviews. Here are some from Twitter:

@mechanic_coyote“Anyway I rode the new Hagrid coaster twice yesterday. First time, I got on it in 10 minutes bc it had juuuust opened up for us, and the second time I waited 3 and a half hours. And it was SO SO SO worth it. Everyone’s saying it’s a “Slinky Dog coaster, but for adults,” and I guess that’s a good way to describe it?? But also not??? It’s really like nothing else, it’s pure fun. Like I can’t accurately describe it in any way other than real, genuine fun.I did both (sidecar and bike)! Bike was a personal favorite I think, for multiple reasons: it has an interactive element at one point on the ride, I like being higher-up, and it had more legroom. My legs are longer than average compared to the rest of my body, and sitting in the sidecar was —cool, but I was initially distracted and how cramped I felt. I can’t imagine anyone taller than me in there. But the sidecar was amazing still!!! Being lower to the ground made me feel like I was going SO much faster.”

“@ThatJakeKid91, If you took show elements from Mummy and amplify them and took coaster elements from Everest and amplify it you’d ALMOST have Hagrid’s. — “

Here are the ride’s statistics:

• Ride time is 3 minutes and 23 seconds

• Coaster will reach speeds up to 50 mph

• Will feature 7 launches, the most in the world!

• Longest coaster in Florida, nearly a mile long (5,053 feet)

• 65-Foot tall “spike” where you will ascend at a 70 degree angle, then fall back down backwards in one movement

• World’s first dual drop track, where you will fall nearly 17-feet straight down in one of either two rooms, each themed slightly different

• Trains hold 14 passengers, in 7 rows of 2 seats

• Two different seat styles for two different ride experiences

• On-board audio as well as off-board audio will help tell the story

• More than 1200 trees were planted

• There will be an on-ride photo

• There will be a Single Rider line

• There will be an Express line, (but it may not open initially)

• There is a child swap waiting area

• Height requirement of 48 inches

We will be live from Universal’s Islands of Adventure tomorrow, June 13th for the official first day of operations and although we won’t be able to stream the ride itself we will catch all the excitement (and crowds) during this day. Universal has provided a sneak peek at the ride itself that you can watch here:

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